Andrew wrote:Now that's a tough way to lose, on the precipice of a thrilling victory to force Game 7. Still, you gave it a good try. A couple of solid offseason moves, and you could go even further next season.

It sucks because I've seen similar animations go in before, but usually it bounces off both sides of the rim. It was a frustrating result, but I was like "wow, that's a really memorable moment".

Phil89 wrote:So unlucky. But at least you have a great foundation to build on with this team.

I'm interested to see what you do over the off-season.

I'm in a pretty good position this free agency. Most of my better players are on reasonable contracts, so that's a good start I think.

Arron Afflalo and Nick Young have had their options exercised for the 2017/18 season.

Despite having a subpar Playoff run, Afflalo had an impressive 2016/17 campaign and the Sonics front office decided to exercise his $12.54M Team Option

In contrast to Afflalo, Nick Young was one of the standout players for the Sonics during their Playoff run. While he could have potentially demanded more money in free agency, Young decided to accept his Player Option worth $5.67M.

Snell to Test Market

A qualifying offer worth $3.39M was officially offered to Tony Snell, but he will test the market to try and get an multi-season deal.

Interesting prospects there. For some reason, I really like the name Jimmie Jennings. It's no Diamond Stone, but it's still got a ring to it.

I figured I'd give him the qualifying offer because he did show some potential. With the way I'm building the roster, he probably won't see significant time on the court, but he could be a good defensive piece.

And there is a pleasing alliteration to Jimmie Jennings. Think he might be a made up player, though. But Michael Fusek is real, so that's good enough for me.

Lamrock wrote:Who won the championship?

Ah man, I knew I forgot something in my eagerness to get through the off-season.

The NBA Finals was an absolute joke. The Warriors ended up winning Game 4 by 105-68.

Instead of engaging in a bidding war for Gordon Hayward, the Sonics decided to sign Otto Porter Jr to a 4yr/$55.51M deal.

With the performance of Andrew Nicholson in the Playoffs, the Sonics opted to take a chance on Porter’s potential instead of going all in for Hayward.

The addition of Porter could mean a change in role for Wilson Chandler. It’s been speculated that the front office envisioned Chandler playing a 6th man role if the Sonics could acquire a big-name small forward in free agency.

Sonics Win Waiters Signature

Former Miami Heat guard and semi-professional voice actor Dion Waiters signed a 1yr/$9M deal with the Sonics.

The deal includes a Team Option for the 2018-2019 season.

Former F Grade 3-Point Shooter Signs with Sonics

Brandon Rush signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Sonics.

Rush will provide the Sonics with another quality spot up option from beyond the arc, as he has a career 3 point percentage of over 40 percent.

NBL Star Comes to Seattle

Bryce Cotton agreed to a one-year deal with the Seattle Sonics.

Cotton is coming off an excellent season in the NBL where he led the Perth Wildcats to the championship. In the final, he scored 45 points, which is a new record for an NBL Grand Final.

Ubiquitous NBA 2K16 MyTEAM Card Acquired by Sonics

Jarnell Stokes signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Sonics.

Stokes has been a D-League standout for a couple of seasons now. In 2016, he won both the MVP and the Finals MVP, along with being crowned a D-League champion.

Livingston Re-Signs

Shaun Livingston will return to Seattle on a 2yr/$15.34M contract.

Livingston was a key reserve for the Seattle Sonics throughout the 2016/17 season, and will likely continue to play a significant role in the upcoming campaign.

Snell Accepts Qualifying Offer

Tony Snell accepted the qualifying offer from the Seattle Sonics, which will see him in Seattle for another season.

In other news, second round pick Jimmie Jennings was waived from the roster.

The two biggest moving free agents this summer were Gordon Hayward and Paul Millsap. Hayward (Baltimore Barons) and Millsap (Phoenix Suns) both received massive 4-year deals that put them on par with some of the most elite players in the game.

The Phoenix Suns have emerged as major winners of the off-season. Along with Millsap, they also signed Andre Iguodala to a multi-year deal, to go with their acquisition of gun prospect Josh Jackson. After a few subpar seasons, this campaign could be the return to prominence the Phoenix fan base have been looking for. As for the major losers of free agency 2017, the Brooklyn Nets failed to make any notable additions to their squad, while losing Bojan Bogdanovic to the Jazz.

With Hayward and Millsap being the major exceptions, most of the marquee free agents have stayed put. LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul have all signed back with their respective teams.

In contrast to role players being overpaid in 2016, this free agency saw a significant amount of minimum contracts. There were a couple of exceptions of role players being overpaid – with Otto Porter and Jared Sullinger being the main examples – but there seems to be an increasing pay gap between stars and role players.

You had a great off-season. Porter is a major coup and you're very fortunate that he didn't get matched, even if he's probably a little underrated in your game. Waiters is a good scorer who should fit the tone of your story, and none of the guys you lost were essential.

Andrew wrote:That's an interesting offseason. Some solid acquisitions to be sure, but it's a shame you couldn't land Hayward. Or Haywood, as I mistakenly named him in an NBA Live roster update years ago.

I probably could have gotten Hayward, but his asking price was about $27M per season. As much of a fan as I am, that's probably the type of money I'd reserve for KD or LeBron.

Lamrock wrote:You had a great off-season. Porter is a major coup and you're very fortunate that he didn't get matched, even if he's probably a little underrated in your game. Waiters is a good scorer who should fit the tone of your story, and none of the guys you lost were essential.

I pretty much signed Porter based on his real life form. I was going to throw money at Hayward, but when I saw that I could get Porter for less than half, I thought it was worth a shot. But yeah, that contract would definitely get matched in real life.

As for Dion, I think I'm going to get some great impact from him off the bench. He's also a bit of a favourite of mine since my 2K13 thread. And my biggest loss of the off-season was Amir Johnson, but I'm hoping Wilson Chandler can play a similar role off the bench.

The regular season hasn’t begun, but the Sonics already need to make a major adjustment to their rotation after Boban Marjanovic sustained a spinal injury in a Summer League game. He will miss roughly the first two months of the regular season.

This is a major blow for the Sonics, as Marjanovic was one of the best defensive players off the bench last season.

To cover for this injury, it looks like Jarnell Stokes will be a part of the rotation on opening night.

The Sonics picked up a 99-92 win against the Jazz thanks to an impressive debut from Otto Porter Jr. The great palindrome dropped 26 points, including 4-6 from beyond the arc.

Along with Porter, Afflalo had a strong opening night as well, scoring 17 points off perfect shooting from the floor (4-4) and the charity stripe (6-6). Wilson Chandler flourished in his new bench role, with 16 points, while Dion Waiters also added a great punch from the bench with 15. Andrew Nicholson struggled from the field (3-11) but still ended up with 10 points.

For the Jazz, George Hill found himself carrying the offensive load with 21 points, while Derrick Favors (16 points, 13 rebounds) and Alec Burks (14 points) also contributed. However, after losing Gordon Hayward in the off-season, it was expected that the Jazz might not have the greatest start to the season.

Nicholson Returns to Form Against Mavs

After a struggle against the Jazz, Andrew Nicholson found his best form and led the Sonics to a 107-100 win over the Mavericks.

Nicholson top scored for the Sonics with 27 points, as well as picking up 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. It was also a great comeback game for Patty Mills, who registered 23 points and 10 assists, while Otto Porter had another great performance for his new team, with 26 points and 8 rebounds.

For the Mavs, a vintage performance from Dirk Nowitzki (28 points) kept them in the game, while they also received solid production from Harrison Barnes (16 points) and new recruits Alex Len (15 points, 14 rebounds) and Dennis Smith (13 points, 8 assists).

Walker Scorches Sonics in Charlotte

The Sonics away record took an immediate hit with their 114-106 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

Kemba Walker poured in 31 points for the home side, leading a field of 6 double-digit scorers for the Hornets. Frank Kaminsky was also a problem for the Sonics’ defence, as he had 18 points off 7-10 shooting, while also tallying 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Yi Jianlian (15 points, 8 rebounds) and Jeremy Lamb (11 points) were also effective, while Spencer Hawes and Frank Ntilikina both added 10 points each.

The Sonics got another strong performance out of Andrew Nicholson, who tallied 32 points and 9 rebounds on the night. But it was also a down game for Otto Porter Jr. The new recruit had his first blemish on the season, scoring 18 points off an inefficient 6-15 from the field. Patty Mills had another double-double (17 points, 10 assists), while Wilson Chandler added 12 off the bench.

Sonics Overpowered by Dominant Deer

The Milwaukee Bucks continued their impressive unbeaten start to the season with a 125-110 victory over the Sonics.

Jabari Parker led a field of 7 double-digit scorers with 27 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Greg Monroe (23 points, 15 rebounds) and John Henson (18 points, 12 rebounds) both caused major headaches for the Sonics in the paint, while Brandon Jennings (12 points, 8 assists) was controlling the game from the point. Khris Middleton (11 points), Matthew Dellavedova (10 points) and Mirza Teletovic (10 points) also contributed to the win.

The Sonics fell to 0-3 on the road after suffering a 118-102 loss to the Jazz.

This time it was Derrick Favors who took on the role as the main man, tallying 30 points and 7 rebounds. George Hill (12 assists) and Jeff Green both scored 21 each, while Bojan Bogdanovic (11 points) and Alec Burks (10 points) were also effective from their opportunities.

The Sonics were led by Patty Mills, who continued his resurgence with 23 points and 10 assists. It was a much better game for Otto Porter Jr as well, who scored 20 points off 6-11 from the field. Andrew Nicholson (15 points, 9 rebounds) contributed despite having a slightly down night, while Arron Afflalo (14 points) and Jarnell Stokes (10 points) chipped in as well.

Due to the nature of the loss, rookie Michael Fusek was also given a run during garbage time in the 4th. In his 2 minutes of play, Fusek had 2 points, 1 rebound and 2 blocks.

Andrew wrote:That's a rough three game stretch following the solid start, hope the slide ends soon. Also, The Great Palindrome? Love the nickname...and of course, it reminded me of a moment from The Simpsons.

The Sonics managed to avoid a complete disaster on their first road trip by beating the Houston Rockets 103-94.

Otto Porter was the top scorer of the night with 28 points. Andrew Nicholson (16 points, 7 rebounds) and Arron Afflalo (15 points, 6 rebounds) provided great support for Porter, while Wilson Chandler had a double-double off the bench, with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

The Rockets had a fairly even distribution of scoring, with James Harden leading the way on offence (22 points, 10 assists). But the Rockets were unable to recover from a slow start, as they were outscored 32-16 in the first quarter.

Sonics Lose First Game at Home

The Toronto Raptors gave the Sonics their first home loss of the season, winning 110-103 in Seattle.

DeMar DeRozan (25 points), Jonas Valanciunas (23 points, 13 rebounds) and Kyle Lowry (22 points, 9 assists) combined to give the Sonics fits all night and as a result, the home team had an uphill battle all game.

Andrew Nicholson (26 points, 8 rebounds) and Otto Porter (22 points) managed to get their own on offence, but Patty Mills could manage to stay on the floor, as he encountered foul trouble for most of the game. With Patty’s troubles, Bryce Cotton got an extended run on the court and he managed to tally 13 points and 5 assists. Andrew Bogut (11 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks) was solid on both ends, but ultimately couldn’t stop the offensive onslaught.

Dion Steps Up, But Sonics Still Lose

Dion Waiters had one of the more incredible performances of the season in the Sonics’ 114-104 loss to the Pelicans.In an incredible turn of events, Dion Waiters was put in the starting lineup after Arron Afflalo tore his MCL during practice. Waiters ended up scoring 35 points in his first start of the season… and I dare say it won’t be his last. The scoring outburst was probably the only thing that kept the Sonics in the game, as Patty Mills was the only other double-digit scorer for the Sonics with 11 points and 5 assists.

As expected, the Sonics encountered major resistance from Anthony Davis. The All-Star big had 26 points and 10 rebounds on the night. But the most astounding performance was from new recruit JaVale McGee. The Shaqtin a Fool legend complemented Anthony Davis perfectly and ended up with an incredible 21 points and 20 rebounds. With Davis and McGee dominating the paint, Jrue Holiday (18 points, 5 assists), Buddy Hield (14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) and Jarrett Jack (10 points, 4 assists) were all able to be effective from the perimeter.

Sonics Come Back in Style Against Nuggets

After a couple of tough results, the Sonics came roaring back with a 125-98 win against the Nuggets.

If you thought the Dion Waiters performance against the Pelicans was a fluke, he obviously didn’t think so. The new Sonics sensation poured in a career-high 40 points off 15-26 from the field. Andrew Nicholson (22 points, 7 rebounds) and Otto Porter (20 points) complemented Dion’s point explosion well, while Nick Young (15 points) and Brandon Rush (10 points) were instrumental off the bench.

For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic (16 points, 10 rebounds), Kenneth Faried (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Emmanuel Mudiay (10 points, 10 assists) performed well, but were on the wrong end of one of the form players in the league.

Sonics Reserves Allowed to Flex in Blowout Win

The game against the Baltimore Barons was never in doubt, as the Sonics won comprehensively by 125-90.

After overwhelming the Barons in the first two quarters, Ime Udoka gave the reserves an extended run, which gave Jarnell Stokes time to prove his worth in the league. The former D-League MVP had 24 points and 11 rebounds, while shooting a perfect 10-10 from the field and 4-4 from the line. Tony Snell also got into the act, scoring 16 points from his 17 minutes of play.

With the extended minutes the bench players received, the numbers of Otto Porter (15 points), Dion Waiters (13 points) and Andrew Nicholson (10 points) took a bit of a hit, but in the grand scheme of things, the rest should only prove beneficial.

On what was a disastrous for the Barons, Joe Johnson (20 points), Gordon Hayward (15 points, 6 rebounds) and Marreese Speights (11 points) were the only players that made any type of impact for the away team.